Joao Gilberto

One of the most heavenly albums ever recorded – a sublime post-60s session by JoaoGilberto, one with even more fluid grace than his original bossa nova classics! The setting here is extremely spare – Joao on vocals and acoustic guitar, backed by only a slight bit of percussion – and recorded with an sound that's incredibly clear and incredibly precise – so that each gentle note, each slight rasp of the guitar comes through beautifully – as do Joao's breathily personal vocals! There's a sense of poise and presence here that Gilberto hardly matched again – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given how great most of his other records already are. The whole thing's tremendous – a true treasure, and easily one of the top classics in Brazilian music from the 70s. Titles include a landmark version of "Aguas De Marco", plus "Undiu", "Falsa Baiana", "Avarandado", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Izaura", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Valsa", and "Eu Vim Da Bahia". CD

A wonderful album by one of the all-time greats! The record is JoaoGilberto's best in years, and it was produced by Caetano Veloso – in a spare, stripped-down style that's very similar to Joao's classic self-titled album from 1973, with an equally moody sound overall! Veloso used some wonderful recording techniques – and Joao's warm vocals and haunting guitar work are handled in a manner that unlocks all of their dark beauty and charm – without any of the sweetness that sometimes holds back some of his other later recordings. Titles include "Voce Vai Ver", "Segredo", "Chega De Saudade", "Eclipse", "Desde Que O Samba E Samba", "Eu Vim Da Bahia", and "Da Cor Do Pecado". CD

Early magic by JoaoGilberto – an album of tracks recorded in Brazil, issued in the US by Atlantic during the height of his first few years of bossa fame! The tracks are short, sweet, and gentle – gliding along on a mix of acoustic guitar, light percussion, and some occasional string backings that never get in the way. Titles include "Lobo Bobo", "Bim Bom", "E Luxo So", "Desafinado", "Rosa Morena", "Brigas Nunca Mais", and "Ho Ba La La". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure bossa magic – and a wonderful illustration of why the early music of JoaoGilberto was so tremendous! (Actually, all of his music is tremendous, but that seems to be especially the case here!) The tracks are all fantastic – breezy, breathy, and almost effortlessly sung throughout – songs that drift in air almost of their own accord, yet also manage a gently rhythmic groove that's probably the best definition of the style of bossa that you could ever hope to find! Most numbers feature acoustic guitar upfront in the mix alongside the vocals, plus a bit of light percussion – and even when there's fuller orchestrations on the record, they're used spaciously and gently – often with some nice jazzy inflections. Titles include "Briga Nunca Mais", "Ho Ba La La", "Rosa Morena", "Bim Bom", "Lobo Bobo", "E Luxo So", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Saudade Fez Um Samba", and "Desafinado". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of JoaoGilberto's early bossa tracks from Brazil – loaded up here with various numbers from other great Brazilian stars! The original one of the first few that he ever recorded, and it's a masterpiece of understatement, recorded with arrangements by a young Antonio Carlos Jobim, and a soaring bossa sound that would soon make history. Tracks include "Discussao", "O Pato", "Outra Vez", "Doralice", and "Samba De Uma Nota So", "Se E Tarde", "Corcovado", "So Em Teus Bracos" and more. This version in El UK fills out the CD with covers of some of these numbers and many more by Sergio Mendes, Sylvia Telles, Walter Wanderly, Silvio Silveira, Carlos Lyra and others. 35 tracks in all! CD

The best of Brazil, old and new – as JoaoGilberto meets up with a younger generation of Brazilian vocalists – Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethania – all for a wonderful session of stripped-down bossa! The work is very much in Joao's best style of the early 70s – a back to basics return, handled with even more intimacy than before – with production by Gilberto, and some beautifully understated arrangements from Johnny Mandel! Tracks are all nice and long, and allow for lots of vocal interplay between the four singers on the set. Titles include "Cordeiro De Nana", "Aquarela Do Brasil", "Milagre", and "Bahia Com H". LP, Vinyl record album

One of JoaoGilberto's first-ever albums – filled with incredibly beautiful bossa material that captures the vocals and guitar of Gilberto at their fragile early best – backed by sublime arrangements from Antonio Carlos Jobim and Walter Wanderley! The setting is perfect, and the sound is amazing – that incredible stripped-down breathy quality that made Joao a legend right out of the box – which so many others tried to copy over the years, but never got this right. A beautiful relic from the past – with a lovely image of Joao's young face on the cover – and titles that include "O Barquinho", "O Amor Em Paz", "Voce e Eu", "Coisa Mas Linda", and "Presente De Natal". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most heavenly albums ever recorded – a sublime post-60s session by JoaoGilberto, one with even more fluid grace than his original bossa nova classics! The setting here is extremely spare – Joao on vocals and acoustic guitar, backed by only a slight bit of percussion – and recorded with an sound that's incredibly clear and incredibly precise – so that each gentle note, each slight rasp of the guitar comes through beautifully – as do Joao's breathily personal vocals! There's a sense of poise and presence here that Gilberto hardly matched again – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given how great most of his other records already are. The whole thing's tremendous – a true treasure, and easily one of the top classics in Brazilian music from the 70s! Titles include a landmark version of "Aguas De Marco", plus "Undiu", "Falsa Baiana", "Avarandado", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Izaura", "E Preciso Perdoar", "Valsa", and "Eu Vim Da Bahia". CD

One of the greatest Luiz Bonfa albums we've ever heard! The record was recorded in Paris in 1962 – and it's got a clean lively bossa sound that reminds us a lot more of the catchy early work by JoaoGilberto and Baden Powell than Bonfa's sometimes flowery sessions from the same time. There's a tight jazz combo backing him up – with drums, bass, and flute – and a number of tracks have some wonderful breathy vocals next to Bonfa's driving guitar. There's more than a few great uptempo numbers – and the whole album's really a mad bossa treat! Titles include "Bonfa Nova", "Teu Olhar Triste", "Lila", "Sorrindo", "Bossa Em Re", and "Dor Que Faz Doer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Joao Bosco's best albums from the 80s! The record is more stripped down than others, and it features Joao's acoustic guitar and mellow vocals right up front in the mix – in a style that's somewhere between JoaoGilberto and Caetano Veloso on some of his more laidback sessions. There's a strong jazzy groove on most tracks, and the record's a real undiscovered gem! Titles include "Papel Marche", "Bate Um Balaio", "Ima Dos Ais", "Gagabiro", "Jeitinho Brasileiro", and "Tambores". LP, Vinyl record album

(Includes the lyric sleeve. Cover has light wear, a broken seal on the opening, and a small crease on one corner.)

A real moment of beauty from Gal Costa in the 70s – a set that moves away from her more experimental music of the Tropicalia generation, and yields a more personal approach overall – one that's quite similar to the best from Caetano Veloso at the time! As with Caetano during this shift, the balance is very complex – still very thoughtful in its approach to the lyrics, and with inventive arrangements from Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Joao Donato – but which have a bit more sentiment and feeling as well. Gal sings some beautiful versions of tracks like Donato's songs "A Ra" (with extra lyrics by Caetano), "Ate Quem Sabe", and "Flor De Maracuja", and Caetano's "Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua" and "Joia" – and the set also include a nice version of "Barato Total", with a guest appearance by Gilberto Gil! CD

A mix of rootsy elements and contemporary production – but a set that comes off a lot better than most other modern projects of this nature! The style here definitely has some of the Brazilian forro styles you might guess from the group's name – but the overall sound is a bit leaner, cleaner, and more appealing to contemporary ears as well – thanks to an equal focus on the bottom rhythms and acoustic elements, as well as some key guest vocals from Bebel Gilberto and David Byrne on two of the best numbers. Some of the tracks are totally instrumental, and others have vocals by members of the group – and titles include "Indios Do Norte", "Wandering Swallow", "I Wish", "Cajuina", "Oile Le La", "Lampiao No Ceu", "Limoeiro Do Norte", "Que Que Tu Fez", and "Paraiba". CD

A really lovely live performance from Gilberto Gil – and one that follows in the same stripped-down mode as his excellent Gilberto's Samba album! The format here is wonderful – a real return to greatness for Gil, as he plays acoustic guitar and sings, with just a bit of extra backing – at a level that's partially like his spare acoustic work at the start of the 70s, and partly like some of the best JoaoGilberto albums in a similar mode! Given that Gilberto came onto the scene as the bossa years were fading, he only had a bit of this style in his music at the start – but he brings decades of experience and warmth to the performance here – at a level that's far different than any sort of bossa rehash project, and which instead really lets us get to the heart of Gil's music for the first time in years. Moreno Veloso helped with the project, and it's got some nice modern undercurrents similar to his music – and titles include "Gilbertos", "Doralice", "Rio Eu Te Amo", "Rosa Morena", "Eu Sambo Mesmo", "Chiclete Com Banana", "Aquele Abraco", "Meio De Campo", and "Ladeira De Preguica". CD features a bonus track not on the DVD – "E Luxo So". CD

One of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums – and quite possibly our personal favorite! The record features beautifully understated arrangements by Joao Donato, Don Sebesky, and Claus Ogerman – and the instrumentation is a haunting mix of bossa rhythms with darker orchestrations that bring out an emotional side of Astrud that you don't always get on other LPs. The track list is excellent, and includes some of her best tracks for Verve, like "Non Stop To Brazil", "Fly Me To The Moon", "O Ganso", and "Aruanda". Not to be passed up, and one that we never tire of listening to! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Nara Leao – and one that features her singing duets with some of the greatest talents of the bossa era and beyond – an amazing lineup that includes Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo, Joao Donato, Carlos Lyra, and others! The sound is wonderful – done with an intimate quality that brings a slightly modern variation of older bossa modes – but with some of the cool, dark inflections that Nara always has in her music. Instrumentation includes a fair bit of acoustic elements, and titles include "Repente", "Amazonas", "Cara Bonita", "Nono", "Joao E Maria", and "Sarara Miolo". Great stuff – and one of her best albums from the later years! CD

2 of the earliest albums ever from bossa genius Carlos Lyra – back to back on one CD! The first album, Bossa Nova, definitely lives up to its title – as it features Lyra's wonderful original compositions wrapped around a set of orchestrations that are lightly breezy, and which dance with a slight hint of jazz that often comes from the use of acoustic guitar or vibes on some tracks. The format's similar to some of JoaoGilberto's work of the time – and backings are by Carlos Monteiro De Souza. Titles are all originals by Lyra, and include "O Bem Do Amor", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Ciume", "Barquinho De Papel", "Rapaz De Bem", "Gosto De Voce", and "Menina". The CD features a whole other album of bonus tracks as well – the similar session Carlos Lyra, also from 1960 – another showcase for Lyra's wonderful skills as a writer! The arrangements on that set are similar, and titles include "Nos Dois", "Mister Golden", "Nada Como Ter Amor", "Vem Do Amor", "Aonde Andou Voce", "De Quem Ama", and "Primeira Namorada". 26 tracks in all! CD

One of the real 70s classics from the legendary Elis Regina – a set of records that are so wonderful, generations of other Brazilian artists have never been able to match them for their sense of power and presence! Regina's really coming into her own with this set – finding a unique voice that's past the bossa and jazz of her 60s material, and with a deep sense of power in the vocals – but one that's never as overdone or cloying as work by Anglo singers of the time. The balance of subtle emotion with rich musical energy matches the best of work by Milton Nascimento at the time – and a great deal of thanks goes to Cesar Camargo Mariano, who's working here at the height of his powers on arrangements, and on keyboards as well. Titles include Milton Nascimento's "Travessia" and "Ponta De Areia", Ary Barroso's "Na Batucada Da Vida", Gilberto Gil's "O Compositor Me Disse" and "Amor Ate O Fim", and more by the team of Joao Boasco and Aldir Blanc. CD

Essential reissue of the legendary 1962 Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert is legendary not only because it was a bit of a disaster (according to legend, just about nobody got paid!), but also because it brought together a huge amount of Brazilian talent on one stage, and premiered their music to a rabid U.S. audience. The recording has a stunning live feel, and it preserves all the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, complete with lively crowd response. Oscar Castro Neves backs up most of the singers – including Sergio Ricardo, Carmen Costa, Carlos Lyra, Ana Lucia, and Chico Feitoso – and the LP has other instrumental performances by JoaoGilberto, Milton Banana, Roberto Menescal, Luiz Bonfa, and Sergio Mendes. Great stuff, and with 15 tracks, including "O Barquinho", "Influencia Do Jazz", "Outra Vez", "Zelao", "Nao Faz Assim", "Bossa Nova Em Nova York", and "Passarinho". A bossa classic! This version has a much higher sound quality than the reissue that was floating about a couple of years ago. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically hard bossa nova jam led by the legendary Milton Banana – a man not only known as JoaoGilberto's favorite drummer, but also as one of the architects of bossa nova drumming and percussion! The album is full of non-stop drums and piano grooves, and it's a mostly uptempo treat all the way through. Milton B tipples his way across the tops of the drums in an amazingly light fashion, yet still manages to kick on the rhythm all the way through. The hard piano sound and Milton B's beats and rhythms made this album a legend – and really cleared the way for so many great bossa albums to come. Amazing! 12 tracks including "Aruanda", "Ora Bolas", "Encanto Triste", and "Improviso", "A Resposta", "A Resposta". CD

Very groovy bossa tracks – very much in the mode of some of the Verve hit recordings of the mid 60s! After the success of the Astrud Gilberto/JoaoGilberto work with Stan Getz, it's clear that Philips and Luiz Bonfa wanted to get in on the act – and they've paired Bonfa's guitar with vocals from his wife Maria Toledo – a really wonderful singer with very Astrud-like appeal! The album's got some larger backings from Bobby Scott, who brings in a nice undercurrent of jazz – and while some of Bonfa's other work of the time is somewhat spare and dreamy, the style is nicely full here. Toledo sings in both English and Portuguese, and even scats wordlessly a bit – which we really like – on titles that include "Sambura", "Whistle Samba", "Tanto Amor", "Boticario", "Promessa", and "Sugar Loaf". LP, Vinyl record album

If you've been looking for a compilation that will be an excellent introduction to bossa nova – this is it! The folks at Motor Music have put together this monster set of 50 tracks on 2CDs, and it spans a total of 40 years of bossa nova (although nearly all of the material is from the classic years!) There's not a huge amount of rare stuff on here, but the tracks that are included were chosen with great care, and represent an excellent primer in the bossa nova style. Futhermore, there's great little notes on each track, with a good explanation of how the songs fit into the larger history of bossa nova. There's way too much here to mention completely, but the CD set includes material by Edu Lobo, Os Gatos, Joao Donato, Astrud Gilberto, Marcos Valle, Nara Leao, Os Namorados, Tamba Trio, Os Cariocas, Luiz Carlos Vinhas, Marcia, Luiz Bonfa, Pele, Quincy Jones, Meirelles, and lots of others! CD

One of the best records we've heard from Gilberto Gil in many, many years – a stripped-down session that focuses on his voice and guitar work – in a style that takes us back to Gil's earliest days in music! The album feels like some lost session that Gilberto might have recorded in the 60s – before his Louvacao debut – done with mostly just a bit of light percussion from the enigmatic Domenico, plus some help from Moreno Veloso – who also co-produced the record as well, with that great sense of space he always brings to his own music too. A few cuts feature extra touches – a bit of accordion, or some flute from Danilo Caymmi – but the main focus is on Gil, who hasn't sounded this great in years – still able to capture our imagination when he works in a straightforward style like this. Titles include "Milagre", "Um Abraco No Joao", "Tim Tim Por Tim Tim", "Eu Sambo Mesmo", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", and "Desde Que O Samba E Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums of the 60s – a classic session produced for Verve by Creed Taylor, and featuring sweet gentle arrangements from Marty Paich, co-arranged with Antonio Carlos Jobim, who also plays guitar on the session next to the piano of Joao Donato! That's a mouthful of heavy-hitters, we know – but the result is a totally great session that has Astrud's light and gentle vocals drifting over some of the most magical bossa backings you'll ever hear. The whole thing's great, stuffed with bossa classics done in English – and titles include "Once I Loved", "Aqua De Beber", "O Morro", "Dindi", "Dreamer", and "Photograph". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Astrud Gilberto's greatest albums of the 60s – a classic session produced for Verve by Creed Taylor, and featuring sweet gentle arrangements from Marty Paich, co-arranged with Antonio Carlos Jobim, who also plays guitar on the session next to the piano of Joao Donato! That's a mouthful of heavy-hitters, we know – but the result is a totally great session that has Astrud's light and gentle vocals drifting over some of the most magical bossa backings you'll ever hear. The whole thing's great, stuffed with bossa classics done in English – and titles include "Once I Loved", "Aqua De Beber", "O Morro", "Dindi", "Dreamer", and "Photograph". LP, Vinyl record album